Staffroom Stories of Australian Teachers: Recent Episodes
Emily Aslin
Take a peek behind the staffroom door at what Australian teachers are talking about, and what they ought to know.
Come for the advice (and sometimes controversy), stay for the lightbulb moments we all treasure in our students but tend to forget about in ourselves.
Aussie teacher Emily picks a topic each episode that has come up in her own staffroom, or in our Facebook communities, and brings experts to the staffroom table to have a chat. Together they shed a light on the things that worry us, anger us, bring us joy, and make us laugh. Teaching is about the kids, but it’s about us teachers too.
In collaboration with the Staffroom Stories blog.
This one is for all those teachers who have ever even remotely considered going remote!
Hakea joins me to shine a light on the realities of teaching away from metro areas, and shares actionable tips for making sure you're well prepared (even if you don't ever end up moving away).
Are you like me and snack all. the. time when you're at school?
Coach Chris McMahon joins me to talk through the real reasons why we snack. We dive into emotional eating (hint: it's almost always emotional eating), the three forms of self-care, and more than a few actually actionable tips to help you curb the habit (if that's something you want to do)!
Ah, a controversial episode!
The use of screen time during school meals is on the rise - but is it really such a good idea? Francesca from Growing Early Minds shares her wisdom for the good, the bad, and the necessary when it comes to letting your students watch a show while they eat their morning/afternoon tea and lunch.
This episode I welcome back (again!) Angela Wilson to talk about quiet quitting - when it's good, when it's toxic, and how to make sure you choose the right path.
Show notes and transcript on the website!
This episode I welcome back Angela Wilson to talk about job crafting - what it is, what it isn't, and the steps to follow to ensure your job actually brings you some joy this year!
Job crafting is all about tailoring your day-to-day experiences to bring forward your interests, passions, and whole self into your daily work (but still within the constraints of your role!). Angela steps us through how to do this effectively, while ensuring you aren't adding more to your already overflowing plate.
Show notes and transcript on the website!
Welcome to Part 2 of a 2-part series, breaking down the year that was!
Reminisce with me as we look back at the breaking headlines of the year, and highlight what we have endured and celebrated in 2022.
Welcome to Part 1 of a 2-part series, breaking down the year that was!
Reminisce with me as we look back at the breaking headlines of the year, and highlight what we have endured and celebrated in 2022.
Take a trip down memory lane with me! This week I’m chatting with Sue Osmond, who is the Program Manager for Life Ed (QLD). Find out the answers to your most burning questions: 1. Why a giraffe?2. What was that body mannequin that had those light up sections?3. What is the team up to these days, now that the van is a bit outdated and everything is turning digital and we have a push for respectful relationships education. Show notes and transcript on the website!
Take a trip down memory lane with me!
This week I'm chatting with Sue Osmond, who is the Program Manager for Life Ed (QLD).
Find out the answers to your most burning questions:
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Why a giraffe?
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What was that body mannequin that had those light up sections?
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What is the team up to these days, now that the van is a bit outdated and everything is turning digital and we have a push for respectful relationships education.
As always, show notes and transcript on the site!
What do the Great Teacher Exodus, the media, and school culture have in common? Much more than you might first think...
Adam Voigt from Real Schools shares:
- the real reasons teachers are quitting in droves (Hint: COVID isn't actually the thing to blame)
- the impact that the media has and how we can proactively combat the regular teacher-bashing articles
- the importance of school culture, what that actually means, and what you can do
This episode is jam packed with wisdom, actionable tips, and nod-along insights. This is an episode you don't want to miss!
Show notes and transcript up on the website!
This is part three in a three part mini-series exploring my unconventional takeaways from the RELIT2022 cup-filling day!
Shelley Moore challenged perspectives about inclusion in the classroom (and in society). She shined a light on our selfish excuses, our alienating policies, and our one-size-fits-all approach.
I provide real, actually achievable steps you can enact in your classroom today to work toward true inclusion for all of your students - because the barriers are in the environment, not in the small human in front of you.
Head to the website for show notes and transcript!
This episode is a little different - I call out the notion that you are 'just' a teacher.
Screw that up, throw it in the bin. Yeet it, if you will. Far out the window.
There is nothing 'just' about being a teacher...
The messages in todays episode from the community should convince you otherwise!
Show notes and transcript on the blog!
This is Part Two of my three part reflection on RELIT2022.
This week I take a dive into the talk from Nikki Sanchez - an incredibly powerful storyteller, decolonisation educator, and orca extraordinaire.
Her messages are deep, distressing, and so critically important for us as educators. Be warned, I cry in this episode. But the takeaways I had were a little off-point - the power of giving windows of resiliency, and of true storytelling.
Head to the website for show notes and transcript!
This is part one in a three part mini-series exploring my unconventional takeaways from the RELIT2022 cup-filling day!
Part 1 takes a dive into the wisdom of Dr Jody Carrington. Her messages ring with such truth:
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If you're not ok, the people you're in charge of don't stand a chance
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All we want is to feel seen
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When you are acknowledged, you rise
Join me as I explore these topics and what they mean for us in our classrooms.
Show notes and transcript on the website!
A new term is a time for refreshing and resetting!
In this episode, I give you a few helpful ideas for how best to prepare yourself and your classroom for a new term. Things like seating plans, classroom and hallway decorations, curriculum, and also your own expectations and connections with yourself, your colleagues, and your students.
As always, full transcript and shownotes on the site!
This is the first of our Anonymous Teacher Files, where teachers have asked for me to be their voice on a sensitive topic.
In this episode, a teacher has reached out to discuss discrimination related to a hearing impairment. I delved into the statistics of teachers with disabilities, and offer advice for how to deal with discrimination that may be occurring in your workplace as a teacher.
Full transcript and show notes available on the website.
This week in Aus is Teacher Aide Appreciation Week!
Holy dooly do I appreciate every single teacher aide I've ever worked with.
In this episode I want to highlight some of the key reasons why we cannot live without our TAs; how best to work together with a TA in your classroom; and how you can access the unique and invaluable knowledge our TAs hold.
Show notes and transcript on the blog!
In this episode, Angela helps us to explore what our options are for when we are just unhappy with our jobs as a teacher.
We discuss a few different options for when you know you need a change, but you're not sure what is out there for you:
- You still want to teach, but need a change.
- You want to explore other options within education.
- You want out of teaching altogether.
This episode follows on from our previous conversation about how to navigate the feeling that perhaps you might be done with teaching.
Transcript and show notes on the blog!
This conversation is for every teacher who has toyed with the idea that perhaps they're not as happy as they'd like with their teaching. I don't mean all the extra we're dealing with, but deep down within your core.
Perhaps you need clarity and validation that teaching is absolutely still your thing. Perhaps you are on the fence. Perhaps you're ready to get out. No matter where you sit, this one is for you!
Head to the website www.staffroomstories.com for full transcript and show notes, and to explore all of the other topics that come up within our staffrooms.
Seen the media reports lately claiming that teens actually tune out their Mum's voice? The reality is a little more complex.
Clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences (and publishing author of the article that the media are referencing) Dr Daniel Abrams joins me to discuss his research on how voice activates the reward systems in neurotypical and neurodivergent brains.
Transcript and Show Notes on the blog.
I'm sure you've heard a plethora of things said about trans people lately, so I got in contact with the RCH Gender Service, and Dr Cate is here to provide you with the scientifically and medically accurate information needed to clear up those misconceptions.
Bottom line - you'll probably have a gender diverse or trans student in the near future (if you haven't already), and this will help you to understand them a bit better!
Show notes and full transcript available on the blog.
Being in a teaching rut can get tedious, draining, and even boring. But being complacent can be dangerous.
This episode is for those of us who are feeling the shine wear off teaching, feeling like we might need something a bit shiny and new, but don't necessarily want to throw in the towel just yet.
Show notes and transcript on the blog.
A TRUE Classroom Escape Room - kids locked inside a converted green room, the only way out by solving challenges directly related to the curriculum for that term...
Kelda has created her room in such a way that it can easily be adapted for each primary year level at her school. Listen to find out exactly how she did it, and how you can too!
Show notes and transcript, plus full room and challenge plan (with pictures), on the blog.
This is Part 2 of a short series about harmful gender norms in our classrooms. This episode focuses on what we as teachers can do to help our students succeed in spite of harmful societal expectations based on gender.
Show notes and transcript on the blog.
This is a two part series with Maria Delaney from The Social Change Agency. We discuss what toxic masculinity is, and how it can impact our classroom experience. We look at cause and effect of toxic behaviours, and that being masculine is not inherently linked with being 'toxic'.
Head to the blog for show notes and transcript.
Diet culture and the impacts on emotional and mental wellbeing affect our male students just as much as our female students. This week I'm joined by PN Certified Nutritionist and Online Coach Chris McMahon, who shares his own experiences with the toxicity of diet culture as a boy/teenager/man, and how us teachers can help our male students navigate safely through.
Show notes and transcript are available on the blog.
Feeling like teaching is unsustainable, crazy, overwhelming? Yeah, me too...
This year was supposed to be the beginning of a settling, and yet here we are, as upended as ever.
You aren't alone.
Head to the blog for show notes and full transcript, and don't forget to subscribe!
I spoke with Dr Rachel Hannam of North Brisbane Psychologists about the guilt that teachers can feel when they see a student misbehaving.
We discussed reasons for feeling this guilt, and how we can redirect that into something more constructive and positive for both teacher and student.
Head to the blog for show notes and transcript!
What's all this about eh? Join me in the Staffroom for stories from Australian teachers - what they talk about, and what they ought to know.
Head to the website for show notes and transcripts.